Theater appliance.



J. LEAR.

THEATER APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY3, 1911.

1&15341}, Patented Jan. 16,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

v I Mf%w J. LEAR.

THEATER APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1911.

Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

1,015,041&

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

JOHN LEAR, OF KINGSTON-UPON-HULL, ENGLAND.

THEATER APPLIANCE.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 16, 1912.

Application filed 11113 3, 1911. Serial No. 636,654.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN LEAR, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Kingston-upon-Hull, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Theater Appliances; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same.

This invention relates to an amusement and recreation device, and has for its object a novel or improved device or contrivance which is particularly'suitable for use at fairs, exhibitions and the like as a means of providing amusement to spectators, and both amusement and recreation to those who use the same, the said device being designed for persons to walk on, or to play thereon football and other games in which walking, running or otherwise moving about forms a part of the game, or to otherwise disport themselves on, the device or contrivance being intended to retard to a more or less extent the progress or movements of the persons who are on the same, or on a particular part or parts of the same.

In order that my invention may be readily understood and carried into eifect, I have appended hereunto a sheet of explanatory drawings on which,

Figure 1 represents a perspective view partly in section of my improved amusement and recreation device or contrivance,, and of part' of a budding or structure for; contamlng the same; Fig. 2 a PEISPQCLIVQ;

View partly in section of part of the device or contrivance drawn to an enlarged scale, and Fig. 3 a cross section of a small port-ion of the device or contrivance drawn to a still larger scale.

Like letters of reference are employed to indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

. According to my invention, I employ a floor or track of metal, or partly of metal and partly of wood or other suitable material, which maybe inclosed by or fitted in a suitable frame, building orstructure, said floor, track or the like being built up of plates or in any suitable manner, and I magnetize the said floor or track or a portion or portions of the same bymeans of electro-magnets or by other means suitable for the purpose so that persons on the same having metal shod boots or the like, are prevented from having free movement thereon, their attempts to walk or move thereon constituting a source of amusement to spectators, and of amusement and recreation to themselves.

A convenient way of carrying out my invention, consists in constructing the floor or track of a number of metal bars or pieces A. A running side by side, the outer or side bars or pieces A being, according to one mode, of angle section and the intervening ones (A of T section, the said metal bars or pieces being placed at suitable distances apart so that a space is left between the tops or upper portions thereof, or between some-of the same, in which spaces are fitted filling pieces of wood or other suitable material of a non-conductive nature. The filling pieces Bare supported netizing the floor or track, such magnets being fitted under the said floor or track preferably to the vertical portions of the metal bars .or pieces, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, such electro-mag nets being connected in series or in parallel, or' in any manner suitable for magnetizing or energizing the whole or any portion or portions of the floor or track.

The electric current for energizing the electr'o-magnets may be obtained from the mains, or a, dynamo or the equivalent may be employed for producing such current which is passed through leading wires E and F to certain or all of the electro-magnets, and a switch G or other suitable appliance or device may be employed for controlling the current supplied to the electro-magnets and consequently to the floor. or track.

A resistance or resistances of any suitable kind may be employed for enabling the amount of current supplied to the electromagnets and consequently to the floor or track tobe regulated as required, and. at Fig. 2 of the drawings I have shown the negative current wire F provided with a variable resistance F for that purpose.

The floor or track may be arranged or constructed in the open, or inclosed within a building or structure H for the accommodation of spectators.

The persons using the floor or track are supplied with metal plates or the like to strap on or be otherwise fitted to their boots or the like to cover the ordinary soles or heels, or both of the same, so that the magnetized floor or track or magnetized portion or portions thereof exerts a pulling action on the plates or the like and retardsthe progress or movement of the person wearing the same when he is on such floor or track or any portion of the same which is at the time magnetized or energized.

I claim 2+ 1. In a theater appliance, the combination, with a floor provided with insulated surface plates of conducting material, of

electromagnets arranged between and in circuit with the said plates, whereby they attract any objects of conducting material moved over the floor.

2. In a theater appliance, the combination, with a floor provided with a surface formed 'of plates of conducting material and JOHN LEAR. Witnesses M. DIXON, OTIs- E. KIIPPAX. 

